


Forbidden Dance

by Shiroyasha4717



Category: League of Legends
Genre: Graphic Description, M/M, Minor Violence, Sexual Content, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-03
Updated: 2019-02-03
Packaged: 2019-10-21 07:23:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17638358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shiroyasha4717/pseuds/Shiroyasha4717
Summary: In which Zed hunts the Golden Demon and meets an interesting stagehand, without them knowing each other's true identinies.





	Forbidden Dance

Zed frowned under his mask, his fists clenched tightly behind the sharp blades. The sight he had witnessed yesterday was buried into his mind, appearing lively in front of him every time he closed his eyes. No matter how hard he tried to erase it from his memory, it always found its way back inside. The man walking next to him sighed, his hand pinching the bridge of his nose, securely hidden behind his own mask.

‘’We can rest, if you need to.’’ Shen calmly stated, his voice as steady as Mount Targon. Zed shook his head, his sight returning down, towards his legs.

‘’No.’’ He replied, and both men returned to their silence, walking straight ahead, only a few kilometres away from the nearest town. A few months had passed from the beginning of their search, the search for the Golden Demon. No matter how fast they were, the demon was always faster, always one step ahead of them. No matter how quickly they reached their destination, the sight displayed in front of them was always the same. A gruesome display of mangled bodies, shaped and twisted in all different ways, ways that shouldn’t have been humanly possible. Shen’s finger pointing straight ahead of them woke Zed up from his deep thoughts, now staring straight ahead himself, where the lights of the town in front of them were now clearly visible. This would be the place they’d rest for tonight, and continue their search for the demon early on tomorrow. Some more walking brought them to an inn, nothing fancy, but good enough to have a good night’s rest. They weren’t used to ‘fancy’, either way. They booked a single room, with two beds. They weren’t short on money, but there was no need to spend more than necessary. Shen immediately laid on one of the beds after leaving his few baggage on the floor, removing his mask and running a hand through his short hair. Zed remained standing, but did leave his own bag on the floor, looking around the room in silence.

‘’Will you not rest?’’ Shen’s voice suddenly came, to which Zed shook his head.

‘’I am not tired.’’

‘’You will be, tomorrow. But if you want, you could take a walk around the town. You could learn a bit about our surroundings, and rest when you return.’’ Zed seemingly thought about his decision for a while, before nodding, removing his attire, and walking outside. The old man at the inn’s front counter smiled and waved at him, and Zed simply gave a small nod towards his direction, before stepping out. The town wasn’t anything of a big deal, but it was bigger than the last few they’d be in. During the last few weeks it had been just the two of them, their master busy after being summoned in an Ionian council. He had placed his trust in them, and both of the two men had taken him up on this. They intended to make him proud, and capture the demon once and for all. Zed was ready, he _felt_ it. After everything he’d seen, he had changed, whether he liked it or not. Whether the change was good, or bad, he did not know. But he was ready to end this, once and for all. Suddenly a loud sound drew his attention to a building to his right. Music rang loudly from the inside, along with people’s cheers and laughter. His curiosity took the better of him, as he took a step inside after swinging the large metal door open. The inside was a theatre, half filled with people intensely watching the stage ahead of them. Zed easily fit in the crowd, as without his armor on, he looked nothing short of unusual. He looked like a normal young man in his twenties. He took a seat near the back row, his sight now aimed towards the stage. A few performers were on it, dancing in the most complicated and fascinating ways. He raised an eyebrow in amusement, the sight nothing close to what he expected. A few minutes later the performance seemed to end, as the crew on the stage deeply bowed and waved as they walked off the stage. A thought crossed Zed’s mind, as he stood up, heading towards the narrow corridor heading backstage. Narrowing their search from tonight would let them cover more areas tomorrow, after all. Asking the performers some questions would help them out in their search. Anything suspicious, anything out of the ordinary. He knew how noisy people could be. He would certainly get something out of them. Stepping down the corridor, he was about to turn left, where he could hear the performer’s cheers loudly and clearly. But as he took a step in the turn, he ended up bumping into someone, the force of the impact knocking him back and the person on the floor. He blinked a few times, adjusting his sight on the person stumbled down on the ground. It was a man, an extremely slender and tall man, only slightly shorter than himself. He had long, raven black hair, tied in a low ponytail behind his back, resting on his shoulder-blade. A few strands fell near his eyes, eyes colored bright amber, the same as the sun diving into the sea, during a sunset on a summer evening.

‘’Oh, I-I am so sorry. You were not hurt, were you?’’ The man spoke, still on the ground, picking up several pieces of paper that were scattered from the impact. The man’s voice was cool, low and alluring, full of elegance and grace. His clothes however, were nothing of the shorts, simple black tight jeans, and a sleeveless red vest tucked inside. His arms were long and slender, same with his legs. Zed raised an eyebrow at the man’s statement, as he was clearly the one at fault, not him. He took a long breath in, as he kneeled down next to him, helping him gather the scattered papers.

‘’..I am alright. I was the one at fault, not you. Were you hurt?’’ He managed to say, his voice calm and steady.

‘’Ah, no, I am quite alright. Nothing broken. You..don’t need to help me with these, please. It’s fine.’’

‘’I insist.’’ Zed stated rather than replied, as he picked up the last of the papers. They were filled with sketches and writing, about dancing techniques, music sheets, and attire drawings. ‘’…These, are very well done.’’ Zed commented, handing them back to the other man as they both stood up. ‘’Yours?’’ The man nodded, the faintest of smiles painted on his lips.

‘’They are indeed. Thank you, such kind words are a rarity these days.’’ Zed thought his compliment was nothing short of special, but let it slide, trying to move back into the topic he came here for.

‘’Are you a performer?’’ He questioned, his look as filled with curiosity as he could fake.

‘’…A stagehand.’’ The man corrected, the slight smile disappearing from his lips as soon as it emerged. He lightly patted on his clothes, getting rid of any dust that was left on. ‘’The performers are in the back, changing from their costumes. They will be on break soon, if you wish to speak with them.’’

Zed nodded, looking around them, with slightly narrowed eyes. ‘’I have a few questions for them. I can wait.’’ The man took a long, hard look at Zed, his eyes now narrowing in return with a tilt of his head.

‘’Care for a cup of tea, while we wait? Think of it as compensation, for earlier.’’ He ignored the comment once more, the man seemingly insisting on the fall being his own fault.

‘’..Why not.’’

‘’Right this way.’’ The slender man replied, leading the man into a small room in the rear back of the building. The room was dimly lit, a few candles illuminating the few furniture scattered around. There were a few traditional cushions on the floor, and a short table in the middle of them. A few counters were stationed nearby, with a small stove on them. He approached the stove, taking out an old-looking teapot from a counter, and left it on the stove, after being filled with water.

‘’Please, do take a seat.’’ He offered, his slender hand pointed towards the cushions. Zed complied, silently sitting on the floor cross-legged, waiting patiently for the man to finish. The tea took a few more minutes, before the slender figure poured the hot liquid into two small, delicate looking cups. He approached the man, before taking a seat across of him, and offering him one. ‘’Do be careful, it’s hot,’’ Zed lightly blew on the tea, before taking in a small sip. It tasted excellent.

‘’..This is very good.’’

‘’Why thank you.’’ The man replied, before taking a sip on his own. ‘’Ionian leaves always leave a good taste behind.’’

Zed quietly took in another sip, examining the new piece of information about the man. _So he was Ionian_. ‘’..You mentioned being a stagehand. How long have you been with the performers?’’ The man chuckled, in a low and raspy voice.

‘’While I am willing to answer any questions I am able to, I do believe introductions should be made in beforehand.’’ He set his cup down, looking deep inside the other man’s dark green eyes. ‘’May I ask your name?’’

‘’..Zed.’’ He replied, his sight aimed elsewhere. He didn’t usually give people his real name, more often than not giving a fake one in return. But something about that man made him think that giving a fake one would result in him getting called out on it. He chose not to take any risks.

‘’Zed.’’ The man repeated, his name rolling off his tongue making Zed slightly shiver, a weird feeling passing through his mind. ‘’Wonderful.’’

‘’Can I know yours?’’ He now replied, growing impatient at the man’s slow pace of doing things.

‘’Of course you can. It’s Khada, Khada Jhin.’’

‘’ _..Golden excellence_.’’ Zed muttered, low enough for only himself to hear. He intended to, at least, but apparently Khada heard his words loud and clear.

‘’So you are Ionian.’’ He commented, his eyes narrowed, and his lips painted in another faint smile.

‘’Indeed. So are you.’’

‘’Indeed I am.’’ Khada nodded, as he closed his eyes. ‘’I have been with these performers for a few weeks now. I do like to move around, staying in one place has never really been my thing.’’

‘’I see.’’ Zed replied, noting down the man’s comments in his memory.

‘’How about yourself.’’ Khada now added, shifting his posture, his long legs resting on his side. ‘’Are you a traveler?’’

‘’Something of the shorts.’’ Zed simply stated, not intending to get into details.

‘’What kind of business does a traveler have to do with some performers, if I may ask?’’ The cheeky question caught him off guard. He knew he sounded suspicious, but for some reason he believed the man wouldn’t pry into his business like that. He clearly, was wrong. The man chuckled once more. ‘’Seems like you were not expecting a question like that.’’ Zed narrowed his eyes, calmly glaring at the man ahead of him. His shy and polite demeanor had seemingly vanished in a second, replaced by a cheeky, rude one. He wasn’t sure if he should answer, or call this all off as a joke, and the man in front of him certainly didn’t help. He simply sat there, with his head tilted to the side, the smile slightly bigger on his lips, apparently waiting for an answer.

‘’..We simply want to ask a few questions about the town. The performers are bound to gossip, so we thought they might be the right people to ask.’’ Khada slightly huffed through his nose, finally breaking their long eye contact.

‘’That, you are correct about. Even gossip would be an understatement.’’

_‘’Where the hell is Khada?!’’_

A yell from outside interrupted the two men, as Khada sighed with a roll of his eyes.

‘’Seems as if I’m being summoned. I will let someone know you are awaiting for them, to answer your questions.’’ The slender man got up, once more slightly patting his clothes down. He then approached the door, before turning back to the man still sitting on the floor. ‘’It has been an absolute pleasure, Zed.’’ He gave a slight bow, the one actors give at the end of their performance. ‘’Until we meet again.’’ Zed didn’t reply, as the other man exited the room after finishing his words. He was alone for a few minutes, before a short woman wearing a simple white dress entered the room and brightly smiled at him.

‘’Why hello there!’’

‘’Good evening.’’ Zed replied, as the woman sat next to him, and continued the conversation. Turns out his hunch was correct, the performers where the right people to ask. The woman let him know that they had been located in this town for the last few months, and during the past few weeks bizarre occurrences have been happening in the town, including murders.

‘’Murders?’’ Zed questioned, now intrigued.

‘’Yes.. There have been three during the past two weeks. One even happened in the forest behind this very building. We…all saw the aftermath. It was, it was disturbing, to say the least.’’ The woman closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath to calm herself down. ‘’It was outright disgusting. I..I never knew humans could look like that, you know? They, they shouldn’t…’’ She closed her eyes tightly once more. ‘’None of us can forget that scene, but we’re trying out best to conceal it. For the sake of our performances.’’

‘’That must have been tough.’’ Zed said with fake sympathy painted on his expression. ‘’I’m very sorry.’’

‘’It’s alright.’’ She smiled towards him, as they both got up. ‘’I.. just hope nothing happens tomorrow.’’

‘’Tomorrow?’’ Zed arched an eyebrow.

‘’Yes, there is a festival near the countryside. Pretty big deal from what I’ve heard, happens once every year.’’

‘’I see.’’ Zed said, as they both exited the room. ‘’Thank you, you’ve been very helpful.’’

‘’Oh, it was nothing. I hope you get to see us perform again!’’ She added with a small giggle, as she waved him goodbye. In the short walk back to his hotel inn, he did some thinking. About the Golden Demon being in this town, about the festival tomorrow, and about that man, Khada Jhin. _‘Until we meet again’_ , he had said. Somehow, he seemed certain they would. He shook his head, rearranging his thoughts.

‘’That festival tomorrow..might be our chance.’’ Shen commented, when Zed filled him in in his findings from the performers. He had intentionally left out the part where he met that strange man, there was no need for Shen to know about it either way. It wasn’t relevant. ‘’If it’s such a big event he will definitely strike. There’s no way he’ll miss his chance to… ‘perform’, in front of such a huge crowd.’’ Zed nodded, still lying down on his own bed.

‘’That’s what I was thinking as well.’’

‘’Well then, better have a good night’s rest tonight. We need to be ready for tomorrow.’’ Shen replied, as he blew out the candle on the bedside in the middle of the room, separating their beds.

* * *

‘’Should we split up?’’ Shen suggested, as they walked in the middle of the crowd.

‘’Maybe. We could cover more distance.’’ Zed replied with a slight nod of his head.

‘’If anything happens-‘’

‘’I know. We’ll let each other know.’’ Zed interrupted the other man, as he started walking towards the opposite direction of him.

‘’Good luck.’’ He heard Shen call out in the distance. He tightly held onto the straps of the relatively big bag he had hanging around his back, containing his weapons and armor. He intended to change, once he had better knowledge of the area. But for now, he did his best to simply blend in with the crowd. A loud sound, seemingly an explosion, drew his attention, as he turned around, his eyes quickly searching around for the source of the sound. He looked up, towards the night sky, now painted with several different, flashy colors.

_‘’..Fireworks’’_

‘’Beautiful, are they not?’’

He now turned towards the man standing next to him, staring off towards the sky as well, the bright colors illuminating his amber eyes in all sorts of shades. He was apparently wearing a traditional attire, that consisted of a long sleeved, high neck shirt, along with baggy pants, that reached somewhere below his knees, exposing his lower legs and his ankles. His hair was now tied in a high ponytail, gracefully falling down his back.

‘’..Beautiful indeed.’’ Zed commented, not sure himself what he was referring to. He shook his head, trying to rid himself of these thoughts. ‘’What are you doing here?’’ The slender figure arched an eyebrow at that.

‘’Am I not allowed to enjoy the festival?’’

‘’You are. I was just wondering if you’ve come here for a performance or as a simple bystander.’’ Zed clarified, his dark green eyes never leaving the amber ones.

‘’A simple bystander it is, then.’’ Jhin said with a chuckle. ‘’What about yourself?’’

‘’..A bystander, as well.’’ Zed said, his hand clutching the strap of his bag tighter.

‘’Well, how about we enjoy this festival together, then? Unless you would prefer some company other than mine.’’ Jhin suggested, a shy, timid smile decorating his face. Zed averted his gaze from the other man. He wasn’t here for enjoyment, he was here on a mission. But, even in the company of the other man, he would still be able to search around the area, and learn about his surroundings. He would just… be taking the long route. But he would still get the job done, right? And he had to admit, he was curious about the other man. Something in him intrigued him, made him want to know everything there was to know about him. The way his personality changed from shy to rude, from submissive to dominant, was more than just interesting.

‘’Your… company is just fine.’’ He decided on saying, earning another smile from the other man.

‘’Wonderful. Have you had dinner yet?’’ He added, as he began walking down the crowd-filled path, the other man following not far behind.

‘’No, I haven’t.’’ Khada slightly turned his head towards his direction, as he spoke.

‘’Then this is an excellent opportunity to relax from all this noise and crowds. My treat, if you will allow me.’’ Zed shook his head on that last statement.

‘’No, this one is on me.’’ He didn’t like owing favors, and the other man did treat him to tea last time they met. Khada chuckled, now walking side by side with Zed, approaching a traditional looking, small restaurant.

‘’How gentlemanly. You should not spoil me, however. I might just never leave.’’

‘’We’ll see about that.’’ Zed replied, a small smirk creeping on his lips, one that Khada took full notice of.

Once they sat down and ordered, Zed decided to start the conversation, and learn as much as he could about the other man.

‘’You… mentioned being a stagehand. Do you not wish to be a performer?’’ Khada slightly shook his head, as he took a sip from his drink while waiting for their orders to arrive.

‘’I very much do. I love to perform, but oh, I do hate crowds.’’ Zed raised an eyebrow at that. How peculiar.

‘’Have you ever performed?’’ Khada was quiet for a while, before offering the man a calm smile.

‘’Many times. Just not… in front of crowds.’’

‘’So you perform alone?’’

‘’That is correct.’’ The slender man replied, after thanking their waiter as he brought in their orders. ‘’Once the performers end, and the theatre is clear, my performance begins. In absolute silence, and absolute solitude.’’ Zed narrowed his eyes, an image of Khada on the grand stage of the theatre all alone flashing through his mind.

‘’I’d like to see you perform, one day.’’ Khada laughed loudly at that, before shaking his head.

‘’One day… you might.’’ Zed ignored the cryptic comment once more. Even if he asked more about it, he didn’t think he would be able to get much out of it. ‘’So, what is your strongest field? Singing, dancing?’’

‘’If I may say so myself, I _am_ an excellent dancer. Singing has never been my strong point. But I do like other forms of art, such as calligraphy, and poetry. I am also quite good at some instruments, such as the piano, and the violin.’’ Zed was listening with genuine interest at this point. ‘’What about yourself?’’ Khada Jhin now asked. ‘’Any forms of art?’’

‘’…No, not really. Only some Ionian dances, the kinds you’re forced to learn as a kid.’’ Khada chuckled.

‘’The traditional ones, right. They aren’t that bad. _Maybe one day, we will dance together_.’’

‘’One day, we might.’’ Zed replied, enjoying the smirk that appeared on the other man’s face. They enjoyed the rest of their dinner in silence, occasionally offering some comments to each other. None of them minded the silence, however. It felt natural, and calm. A long walk around the festival, concluded the night for the two men, as Khada turned towards the slightly taller male.

‘’I had a wonderful time, tonight. Hopefully, we will be able to repeat it again.’’

‘’I… enjoyed it as well.’’ Zed admitted, seeing no reason to lie.

‘’However, I must cut this night short. A stagehand is a stagehand, and I still have work to do behind the scenes. There’s a performance tomorrow, and I do get enough on my plate as it is.’’ He said with an emotionless chuckle, his sight averted far in the distance.

‘’I understand.’’

‘’Well, then, Zed. I wish you a good night.’’ Khada said, offering the man a rare, genuine smile. ‘

’To you as well. Khada Jhin.’’

* * *

Zed was sitting on a branch, silently watching a small group of people pass by the woods. They did seem suspicious at first glance, but soon realized they were no threats. It had been a few hours after midnight, and the crowd of the festival had begun to disperse. And still, no sign of the Golden Demon. Was their hunch wrong? He heard the sound of leaves rustling, his point of view immediately aimed towards the source. He saw his fellow ninja land next to him, the tension in his shoulders slowly relaxing. But as soon as it disappeared, it came back, once he heard the words the other man uttered.

‘’The Golden Demon attacked.’’ Zed was shocked. They had made rounds around the festival all night long, how could he have acted without them taking notice? As always, he somehow was one step ahead of them.

‘’Lead the way.’’ That was the only thing Zed could reply, as they both stealthily made their way through the dark, silent forest. A short distance later, a foul smell attacked Zed’s nasal cavity, even through the metal mask. The sight that was awaiting him in the ground below was nothing new to him, but still, managed to make his chest clutch against his heart. It was a woman, struck with a pole that entered her from below, and reappeared from her throat. Her head, however, was gone. All that was left was the bloody flesh, shaped and twisted in an impossible way, resembling a blooming rose. On her feet, rested large vines, entangling a seemingly bunch of flesh. But upon closer look, he could tell it was the cold, lifeless body of an infant. Watching the scene from above sent shivers down his spine, despite all the death, and suffering he had already witnessed throughout his lifespan. The woman’s hands here held on her stomach, which was ripped open, guts, and blood steadily dripping out. How could this be art in anyone’s eyes? Suddenly, a loud scream drew both men’s attention away from the sight on the ground. It came from straight ahead, but the echo throughout the forest made it hard to make out if it came from a left or right direction. With a simultaneous nod of their heads, they both dashed towards left and right respectively. Zed jumped on the ground, his eyes quickly scanning the area around him. Until, he finally found it. A man was stumbled on the leaf-covered ground, clutching his apparently bleeding stomach. A figure was standing a fixed distance in front of him, a gun drawn in his left hand, aimed straight towards him. Zed quickly summoned a shadow between the figure and the bleeding man, instantly switching places and appearing in between. Now straight in front of the figure, he was able to take a good look in. A figure, seemingly a man, wearing an extravagant outfit, was staring straight at him. At least that’s what Zed thought. He couldn’t have known, as the man was wearing a white, fixated mask over his face. The figure tilted his head to the side, but remained silent for a good while, the only sound heard in the area being the leaves rustling on the trees, and the wounded man’s wheezes.

‘’Would you kindly move? You’re ruining. my. performance.’’ The masked man suddenly said, his voice gradually growing lower and sharper with every word he uttered. His voice was deep, with a metallic touch to it, clearly the mask’s fault. Zed replied by dashing towards the man, the blade on his hand barely missing his throat, as the figure sidestepped it just in time.

‘’I’ll… take that as a no. But, it is quite alright. I’m always ready to improvise with new material.’’ The man pulled the gun’s triggering, firing a blasting shot towards Zed, who disappeared into the shadows just in time, only to appear behind the man and place his blade around his neck. He fired the gun once more towards his back, the bullet flying stray away from Zed. The ninja simply pressed the blade towards the clear neck, drawing out quite a few drops of blood.

‘’Loud words, for a mere serial killer.’’ The masked man chuckled, as a metallic sound echoed through the forest. Zed’s sight was immediately aimed towards his own leg, that was caught in a trap, that apparently appeared out of nowhere. The figure immediately dashed away from Zed, pulling the trigger of a different gun this time, one that was hanging from his waist. The bullet struck Zed in the shoulder, but not lethally. He did find himself, unable to move however. The man slowly kneeled one leg to the ground, carefully assembling the two guns together, into a seemingly sniper rifle. He steadily aimed towards Zed, who found himself helpless in the situation, only able to stand and watch. The man pulled the trigger a final fourth time, the shot striking Zed straight in the heart. Or, so he thought. Suddenly, he was engulfed in a bright purple light, and immediately, his companion appeared in front of him, blocking the bullet just in time. The figure was clearly dissatisfied and threatened, taking a step backwards. Shen aimed his katana towards the man, as an apparent warning.

‘’Golden Demon. Surrender, while you still can. If you do, we will treat you humane.’’ The man barked out a laugh, as he shook his head several times.

‘’I’m well accustomed with the ‘humanity’ of Ionia, so unfortunately, I must decline.’’ He took a few more steps backwards, steadily being covered by the shadows and the darkness. ‘’I am not comfortable around such crowds, however. So I will, take my leave.’’ Shen immediately was about to dash towards him, when Zed grabbed his shoulder.

‘’Wait, there are hidden traps all around. Do not move so recklessly.’’

‘’But-!’’ Zed shook his head with a grunt, holding his bleeding shoulder.

‘’Let it go. We can’t… win like this.’’ The man chuckled, as he finally disappeared from view, his metallic, echoing voice being the only last sound they heard.

‘’Until we meet again.’’

* * *

Zed opened his eyes, and immediately shut them closed once more, in response to the sharp pain from his shoulder.

‘’I patched you up as well as I could.’’ He heard a voice coming from nearby, identifying it as his fellow ninja. Now taking in a sharp breath, he managed to sit up, and stretch his injured arm as good as he could.

‘’…This is fine.’’

‘’No need to act tough. The shot was pretty bad. Magic-infused.’’ Shen explained, handling his companion a glass of water.

‘’He didn’t seem to be able to use magic…’’ Zed replied, accepting the water. ‘’Maybe…it’s just his weapons that use magic.’’

‘’That could be a possibility.’’ The other man nodded, as he then let out a sigh. ‘’I will have to leave you on your own for a while. I need to contact Master, let him know about our encounter and ask about our next moves.’’ Shen replied, placing the bag stuffed with his suit and weapons around his bag.

‘’Will you-‘’

‘’I’ll be fine, _Shen_.’’ Zed nearly growled, clearly not satisfied at being treated as if he was a child. The other man simply nodded, and exited the room, leaving him once more alone with his thoughts. His mind unconsciously travelled to the events of last night. The Golden Demon. This marked the first time they had met him from such a close distance, and were able to take a good look at the so-called monster. That monster, that demon, the well-known devil himself, was a simple man. A human, just like himself. But what short of events, could lead a man to act like this? Zed couldn’t help but be curious. What had that man experienced, what had he seen? Countless questions rampaged through his mind, but naturally, no answers were to be found. Zed painfully managed to sit up by the edge’s bed. He looked towards his shoulder, and the bandage wrapped tightly around it, clearly recently changed. Sitting still was never his thing, however, even when injured. He searched for a simple pair of pants, and a shirt long enough to cover his wounded shoulder, and headed out of the inn. He knew Shen wouldn’t be pleased with him running around with a gun wound in his arm, but he always worrying needlessly. Zed was more than able to handle himself. Or so he thought, until yesterday. He shook his head, as the evening’s final sunlight slightly illuminated the street. No, he was able to handle himself. Yesterday simply caught him by surprise, and nothing more. And it should never, ever happen again. He wasn’t a mere assassin. He was a _ninja_. He had to be able to feel composed at all times, let nothing distract him. And that was what he intended to continue doing. He had a mission, and he would fulfill it at any cost. Suddenly, he felt a hand grabbing his shoulder, the wounded one. He managed to keep his composure and a straight face, and not react to the sharp pain that ran through his arm. He did however slowly turn around, to glare at whoever dared to act like this around him. As he faced the person though, he was only met with a mask. A porcelain, white mask. Images of yesterday flashed through his mind, but was soon able to realize that this was a different one. This one was more of the kind that you see in circuses, with a wide grin painted on and two long eyes, one of the two winking. A slender hand reached up to the mask and slowly removed it, revealing a timid face with a polite smile.

‘’Why, good evening my dear.’’ Khada Jhin said. ‘’I sincerely hope I did not frighten you there, did I?’’ Zed discreetly let out the breath he was holding in.

‘’No, you didn’t. Just… surprised was all.’’ He took another look at the mask, still in the man’s hand, and continued. ‘’Are you perhaps performing?’’

‘’Me? Oh, no. This is just one of the props the performers will be using tonight.’’

‘’I see.’’, was all Zed could reply. The man across of him was wearing one of his usual sleeveless vests, this one a shiny gold color. His legs were dressed in pure white jeans, highly contrasting against the high, black, sharp boots worn on his feet. He looked magnificent, as always.

‘’Where might you be going, if I may ask?’’ Zed wasn’t really sure himself.

‘’For a drink, I guess.’’

‘’A drink?’’ The man chuckled, an eyebrow arched. ‘’Is it not still evening? How fascinating.’’ The interest in the pair of amber eyes was more than obvious. Zed could handle a lot of things, but he was still, just a man. He was still human.

‘’Would you.. like to join me?’’ He asked, relieved after he saw the smile on the other man’s face widen.

‘’Oh, I’d love to. But I will join you for a cup of tea. It is still quite early for alcohol, and I do have work tonight.’’ Zed couldn’t stop here.

‘’But, afterwards?’’ The man chuckled, his bright, amber eyes narrowing along with his smile.

‘’Afterwards, I’m all yours.’’

* * *

‘’Are you hurt?’’ The sudden question made Khada Jhin stop in his tracks, the alcohol-filled glass still touching his lips.

‘’Pardon?’’ Zed pointed towards his own neck with his index finger.

‘’There is a cut across your neck.’’ Khada turned towards his own neck, his slender flingers touching the long, thin line of skin that was torn and now colored red.

‘’Oh, you mean this. Worry not, it’s nothing major.’’ Zed narrowed his eyes, after taking a long sip from his drink.

‘’How did it happen?’’ Khada shook his head with a small sigh.

‘’Piano wire. I was replacing it, and one string snapped as I was tying it in place. You know how sharp these bloody things are. Luckily, it only grazed me. I’m just glad my head is still attached to the rest of me.’’ Zed carefully listened to the man’s explanation. _Piano wires?_ He had made the mistake of touching one when he was younger, despite being warned not to. Speaking from experience… a wire snapping at random and striking him… would it cause nothing but a mere scratch across his collarbone? He knew these things were sharp enough to cut across flesh along with bones. A mere _scratch?_

‘’I see. Just make sure you’re more careful in the future.’’ It sounded suspicious, but making stray assumptions never turned out good. He dropped it for now, but would surely remember it. Khada Jhin let out another one of his chuckles.

‘’Worry not, I learn from my mistakes.’’ A couple of hours later and a few more drinks, along with several different topics of conversation, their night seemed to end. Zed wanted to be back by the time Shen returned, or he wouldn’t hear the end of it, after all.

‘’Tonight, was…’’ _fun?_ ‘’great.’’ Zed decided to say. ‘’But I must-‘’ He noticed the other man standing in the middle of the street, his gaze high up, towards the night sky. During the night his form looked even more elegant, almost as if he had jumped right out of a painting.

‘’Beautiful, as always.’’ Khada commented, clearly not paying attention to what the other man had said.

‘’It really is.’’ Zed agreed, his sight lost within the other man’s amber eyes, twilight reflectively shining through them. Khada turned towards him, a small smile forming on his lips.

‘’Are you referring to the moon?’’

‘’…I’m not sure.’’

The slender man was quiet for a while, never breaking their eye contact. Until he finally took a few steps forward, closing in the short distance between them. Slightly tiptoeing, he slowly reached up, and placed his lips atop the other man’s. Zed was frozen, to say the least. Shocked by the immense heat he felt coming through the other man’s flesh. He wasn’t a virgin or anything like that. A man is a man, and he had admittedly approached prostitutes more than just once. But he had never kissed anybody. Sex was simply a primal instinct, but kisses were another thing. There was simply no reason to. Or at least, that’s what he thought. The other man finally broke their contact off, but still remained close, gazing into Zed’s eyes, seemingly awaiting for a move. Zed was not sure about how he should act. This wasn’t like him, not at all. He was getting carried away, led astray from his mission. But some temptations… were too hard to ignore. He grabbed the fabric at the man’s neck, abruptly pulling him close for another kiss. The sudden movement caught Khada by surprise, his mouth slightly opened, and Zed took full advantage of that, dominantly shoving his tongue against the other man’s. A sound that resembled a whimper escaped the other male, which made Zed place an arm around his waist and pull him even closer. _This was wrong._ Khada finally gave in, his hands desperately reaching up to wrap around the taller man’s neck, and to grab at his short, brown locks. _This was terribly wrong._   __

* * *

Khada Jhin managed to pull off his shirt, lying on the bed with a satisfied sigh. He pulled the elastic band through his hair, letting them fall freely down. He took a look at the other man sitting up in front of him, undressing on his own.

‘’Have you ever… done this before?’’ Zed asked, not sure what he was doing himself. He had never lied with a man, after all.

‘’No, never.’’ Khada honestly replied. _Never?_

‘’You… Not even with a woman?’’ The slender male slightly glared upwards.

‘’I never found the reason to. Is that a problem?’’ Zed took a good look at the figure lying in front of him. His body was as slender as it looked beneath clothes, but it was finely muscled. Not excessive, just enough to look perfectly suitable for him. His untangled long, raven hair contrasted against the white sheets, and Zed could swear the man’s eyes appeared fogged with seemingly lust, even if he kept a straight composure as always.

‘’No. It is no problem.’’ He finally replied, kneeling down above the other man, and catching his lips in another heated kiss. He wasn’t exactly sure how to proceed with this, but ultimately decided to just act like he normally would at such an encounter. How different could it be? He lowered his head, placing it over the other man’s chest, lightly placing kisses all over it. A satisfied hum escaped the raven haired man’s lips, as Zed’s fingers slowly trailed up his neck, reaching the pale lips and slowly pushing against them. Khada took the queue, and immediately wrapped his tongue around them. It felt warm, and passionate against his fingers. Zed now wrapped his tongue around one of the man’s nipples, aggressively, and lustfully twisting it around, earning him several low whispers from the lying man. He removed his fingers from his mouth, and reached downwards, towards the man’s entrance.

‘’This… might hurt.’’ He warned, kissing him once more as a single finger pushed its way inside. He felt Khada tense around him, a gasp muffled against his lips. Soon he managed to relax, indulging himself in the kiss, and Zed was able to push in another finger, slowly but steadily twisting them inside. Khada broke the kiss, a gasp escaping his lips as he did so.

‘’T-That’s enough.’’ He managed to whisper, as Zed gave a short nod in response. He sharply removed the digits from inside the man, now placing himself against his entrance. ‘’Do it.’’ Khada ordered, and Zed complied, as he slowly, but in one go, pushed himself inside. He had to admit, it felt different than a woman. Not different with a bad meaning, however. It was warm, and extremely pleasurable. The man below him had his eyes closed, heavily panting and trying to keep calm and regain his composure. Zed brushed a strand of stay hair away from his face, as he leaned close to his ear.

‘’You won’t enjoy this if you keep acting like that.’’ Khada sharply exhaled at that whisper, but soon chuckled, wrapping a slender leg around his waist and pulling him closer, now entirely connected to each other.

‘’T-Then… then start already.’’ The raven-haired replied, a cheeky smile with lustful eyes now replacing his calm expression, earning him a rare grin from the other man. Zed slowly pulled back, then forcefully thrusted inside, and repeated this routine several times. Khada’s moans from below sounded like music to his ears, as they were now both able to fully enjoy this. He suddenly sat down on the bed, and with a single arm pulled Khada onto his lap, looking at him with fully expecting eyes. Khada took the que, and steadily started rising, and lowering himself upon Zed. He hated to admit it, but he had never felt such pleasure before. Both of them hadn’t. Khada was resting his forehead on his collarbone, clearly tired and not able to contain himself anymore, his moans echoing inside the room.

‘’I… I can’t..’’ His voice a mere whisper against his neck, Zed placed his hands around the man’s waist and picked up the pace.

‘’It’s fine, go ahead. I’m… close too.’’ A few more thrusts brought both men to their climax, Zed not bothering to pull out, instead reaching his orgasm inside the other man. Only after he had calmed down, did he realize that he might not be okay with this.

‘’Was that…?’’ Khada let out a tired laugh, looking up towards him with half closed eyes.

‘’It is alright, do not worry.’’ Zed slowly let the other man rest on the bed, lying beside him himself afterwards.

‘’I feel… like I’m going to pass out.’’ He admitted, a chuckle heard from his side.

‘’So… do I.’’ He felt the other man’s soft lips place one last kiss against his own, as Khada then lied down, closing his eyes. ‘’Goodnight, Zed.’’ Khada received no reply, as the second Zed closed his eyes, he immediately managed to drift away, into a dreamless sleep. 

* * *

He grunted, the sunlight filling the room forcefully tearing his eyes open. After a few blinks of adjustment, he recollected last night’s events, and immediately turned to his side, to come across, an empty bed. There was no sign of Khada. He quickly got up, realizing that if Shen was back, he was probably worried sick and searching all over the town for him. Quickly gathering his scattered clothes from the ground, he was about to exit the empty room, when he noticed a note pinned on the door. He ripped if off, and read it.

_‘’My dear. Last night, was extremely enjoyable, to say the least. You, have made me feel things I never knew were possible, and I sincerely hope it has been the same for you. However, I am not used to such feelings, which is the reason I must take my leave. I apologize beforehand, well aware of how this may seem to you. But as I have mentioned, I perform alone. I hate crowds, and can never stay in one place for long. I am used to this kind of solitude-filled lifestyle, and I am not sure, if I can change it just yet. I will be moving forward the nearest town in the west, I owe to tell you this much. I very much hope, that we may meet again. Until then._

_-Khada Jhin.’’_

Zed crumpled the letter in his hand, before ripping it in half and discarding it away. He should have known this was a mistake from the start. As he walked down the street towards his own inn, he realized why the elders always said such pleasures were banned for ninjas. It had only brought him distress, both physical and mental. Such feelings were never meant for him, someone living in the shadows. He had to cast them away, as quickly as he could. Entering his room, he was immediately met with a rage-filled look from Shen, sitting on a bed with his arms crossed across his chest. He looked ready to harshly scold the other man, but seeing the look on Zed’s eyes, he ultimately decided not to. Zed looked as if he had just murdered somebody, rage and anger reflected in his eyes. He sat across from Shen, looking at him expectantly.

‘’What did Master say?’’ He simply asked, ignoring the fact that Shen was obviously looking for him all night long. Shen shook his head several times in disappointment, and sighed.

‘’He believes the Golden Demon will soon strike again, in one of the nearest towns from here. Us destroying one of his… ‘performances’, will probably just anger him more. But he wouldn’t dare do it in the same town, there’s no way he would repeat his mistake.’’ Zed was listening with great care.

‘’Where are the nearest towns from here?’’

‘’There’s one to the east, and one to the west. I would suggest splitting up, but after last time… it would be better for us to stick together. There’s no reason for any of us to risk getting injured again. So, we will have to choose. Where do you think we should go, east, or west?’’

Khada’s note from that morning was brought back into his memory. He had mentioned he would be heading west. In that case…

‘’Let’s head east.’’

* * *

‘’Thank you, you’ve helped us very much.’’ Shen said, as he waved the old woman goodbye with a small wave.

‘’No she didn’t.’’ Zed bitterly said, once they had walked away.

‘’Being polite never hurts, Zed. With your attitude we’ll never find anything new.’’ Shen strictly replied, ignoring Zed’s usual glare.

‘’People talk because of fear just as much as they do from being polite. We do the same thing, just in different ways.’’ Shen sighed. He and Zed have always had their differences, but they tried their best to put them aside from Master’s sake. But sometimes, it just became too much for both of them to handle.

‘’Let’s split up, shall we? We could both use some time alone, as it seems.’’

‘’Fine by me.’’ Zed replied, as their paths sharply changed directions.

A couple of hours later, he had simply grown tired of asking ‘questions’, as he never received any worthy answers. During the past few days, nobody seemed to have any clues about the Demon’s whereabouts, and no attacks had ever happened in this town. No major events were scheduled in the near future either. Zed snorted, with a short shake of his head. Had he chosen wrong? Was he meant to head west, after all? Was that his only choice? Idly watching the pedestrians walk down the street, he tried his best to clear his mind and focus. But suddenly, his eyes widened, as he realized the scene unfolding in front of him. An older woman had apparently dropped a bag filled with fruit, and a person, seemingly an older man, wearing a long, dark cloak, was standing near the middle of the road, kneeling down as he helped her get everything back in place. But with his back turned against the road, that old man wasn’t able to see a cargo driven by two horses head straight towards him. Zed cursed under his breath as he dashed towards the man, pushing him out of the cart’s way just in time, both of them tumbling on the ground as a result. Zed, unfortunately, managed to land on his still healing shoulder, as he heard a loud hiss escape the other man, who had apparently injured his leg in the fall.

‘’Were you never taught not to stand in the middle of the road?’’ Zed nearly growled, once the sound of the rampaging horses striding away finally quietened down. He saw the still fallen man’s fists clench and shake with fury, but slowly relax, and untangle, as he softly touched his injured leg, seemingly examining it.

‘’…You are right in every way. I do very much apologize.’’ He finally heard him utter. But Zed, by this point, could recognize that voice anywhere in the world.

‘’Khada Jhin?’’ The hooded man swiftly turned towards him, surprised at the mention of that name. And as Zed feared, he was met with the well-known, bright, amber eyes. The other man, however, looked just as shocked as himself, none of them expecting this encounter.

‘’O-Oh.’’ Was all Khada could say. Zed shook his head, now looking at the man’s leg himself.

‘’Can you stand?’’ The man blinked several times at the sudden change of topic, but did push himself off the ground, and stood up. Only for a few seconds however, before his leg gave in, and Zed was forced to swiftly wrap an arm around his waist, holding him in place.

‘’…Thank you.’’ He heard the man reply, his voice almost as soft as a whisper. Zed looked away, glaring to seemingly nowhere.

‘’Where are you staying? I’ll walk you there.’’

‘’Please, there is no need to-‘’ Zed abruptly removed his arm, the man almost tumbling back on the ground. But on the last second, he caught him once more, and looked at him with a bored expression. Khada gave him a tired glare, as he softly sighed.

‘’It is… just down the street. Not far.’’ They were silently for a while, taking slow steps down the street, Zed trying to match his pace with the other man’s.

‘’I thought you were heading west.’’ Zed suddenly said, which caused the other male to look at him with widened eyes, clearly shocked at the sudden statement.

‘’I… I was. There was a sudden change in my plans, however.’’ Zed hummed in clear sarcasm.

‘’Is that so.’’

‘’That is so.’’ Khada confirmed, clearly offended at his tone.

‘’Didn’t you just lie and come here from the start, just to avoid me?’’

‘’I did not. And what about yourself? You headed east, knowing I was heading west. Aren’t you the one who tried to avoid me?’’

‘’Don’t change the subject.’’ Zed furiously hissed, his hand harshly gripping at the slender man’s waist. He heard the other man mutter curses under his breath, and then shake his head.

‘’We are here.’’ He announced, Zed arching his neck upwards to indeed see a sign reading ‘Inn’ at the building in front of them. Khada placed a hand on the wall, able to support himself for now. Zed simply turned around to leave. He did not have anything more to do with this. This was over.

‘’P-Please, wait.’’

The sudden call stopped him in his tracks. Why did he freeze? Why didn’t he just ignore him and leave? What more was he expecting from this? With a grunt, he sharply turned his head towards the other man.

‘’What?’’ He nearly barked. Khada looked confused himself, seemingly lost at words, not sure why he had called out for him. He then slowly shook his head, a small, sad smile on his lips.

‘’…Do come inside. I believe, we should at least talk.’’

‘’Is there anything left to say?’’ Zed bitterly replied. Khada offered a small nod.

‘’I believe.. there is.’’

Zed angrily brushed a hand against his own hair, as he ultimately followed the man inside. What was he even trying to achieve from this? Khada’s room was thankfully on the ground floor, which meant they headed inside as quickly as he could walk with his injured leg.

‘’Would you like some tea?’’ Khada offered as soon as they entered, nothing unusual for him.

‘’You can’t even stand up.’’ Zed pointed out, noticing the man’s good leg shaking from the strength he put on it just to stay still. ‘’Sit down, I’ll make it.’’ Khada opened and closed his mouth, seemingly searching for the right words.

‘’A guest should not-‘’ ‘

’Sit. Down.’’

Khada was weirdly submissive today, Zed had realized, as he saw the man slowly approach the small table near the corner of the room and take a sit. The tea was prepared relatively soon, as Zed offered the man a cup and kept one for himself, sitting across the other male. They were both quiet for a short while, before Zed glared towards him, and spoke.

‘’You wanted to talk. Well. Talk.’’

‘’Right…right.’’ Khada replied, with a few nods of his head. He finally took off the hood he was wearing over one of his usual attires, swiftly throwing it somewhere nearby. ‘’I, I do believe the way I acted was wrong. For that, I owe you an apology. Leaving such a letter, and just… vanishing, it must have been terrible. I admit, the thought of how you might feel after reading such a terrible thing… did not cross my mind.’’

‘’Clearly not.’’

Khada bowed his head in apparent shame.

‘’To tell you the truth, I am quite lost, Zed. Lost for words, lost for actions. I have never been through such a similar experience before. This… is all a first for me.’’ He looked away from the man’s judging green eyes, his eyes resting on his own legs. ‘’Things like… intercourse, lust, love, are all-‘’

‘’What?’’ Zed suddenly interrupted.

‘’..Pardon?’’ Khada questioned, revising his words in his mind, searching for any mistakes he made.

‘’You said… love?’’

‘’..Yes, I do believe that is what I said.’’ Zed was shocked, to say the least, his dark, green eyes widened.

‘’You.. You..love…?’’

‘’Was it not clear from the start?’’

Zed’s back hit the chair with a loud sound, almost giving in and letting him fall. _What?_

‘’However,’’ Khada continued, ‘’No matter what your response to this matter is, either acceptance, or refusal, I cannot hear it just yet.’’ Zed managed to raise an eyebrow though the still effecting shock.

‘’Why.. is that?’’

‘’When I mentioned that I needed to clear my mind… rearrange my thoughts, I was not lying. There are still a few… things, that I need to do. To sort out, if you may. Until then, I cannot continue through with any of this.’’

‘’What… sorts of things?’’ Khada looked straight into his eyes, no expression readable in the amber ones, however.

‘’I cannot say yet.’’ Zed huffed through his nose.

‘’Of course.’’

‘’Trust me when I say this. Soon, I will explain. And then, I’d love to hear your response. No matter what it may be… I need that closure.’’ Zed pinched the bridge of his nose, his mind suddenly travelling back to Shen.

‘’I… need to go.’’ He stated. Khada simply nodded, clearly not about to try and stop him.

‘’I would walk you to the door, but I believe I should try and rest.’’

‘’You should.’’ Zed monotonously replied, standing up, and heading towards the door. ‘’Goodbye.’’

‘’No, not goodbye.’’ Khada corrected him. ‘’Until we meet again.’’ Zed looked one last time into his eyes, now filled with indescribable emotion. He did however, manage to turn away, and leave. Just as he exited the building however, he fell upon a familiar face.

‘’Zed? What were you doing in there?’’ Zed gave Shen an eye roll, as he continued walking along the street, the other man quickly following behind.

‘’I helped an injured person reach their destination.’’ He stated.

‘’Y-You did?’’ Shen meekly asked, shock more than obvious in his voice.

‘’I guess I’m not as heartless as you believe I am.’’ Zed said, not sure who or what he was referring to anymore. Shen chuckled, placing a hand on Zed’s shoulder, the one that was uninjured.

‘’No, you’re not. Never have been.’’

* * *

As the two fellow ninjas were putting their armors and respective weapons on, a loud scream emerging from the hallway outside their room drew their attention. Shen quickly pulled off his mask, opening the door and checking outside. He saw a woman running, tears streaming down her heavily flushed face. Shen gently reached over and held her elbow, stopping her in her tracks.

‘’Please, calm down. What happened?’’ He asked in a rush, as polite as he could in such a scenario. The woman seemed to slightly relax, hearing the man’s calm and steady voice, and among tears and sobs managed to utter a few words.

‘’I-In the f-fields… My cousin…my cousin! Oh, god!’’ She fell in her knees, her hands clutching her face. Shen exchanged a quick look with Zed, both men simultaneously nodding.

‘’Where are those fields?’’ Zed hastily asked.

‘’N-North..’’

‘’Let’s go.’’ Shen’s determined voice urged Zed forward, and thus they began their pursuit. They would end this. _Tonight._ Running through the roads leading outside of town earned them a few looks from the bystanders, clearly not used to seeing ninjas around these places. They wouldn’t blame them for being afraid, or alarmed however. If they were in their shoes, they would probably look like mere assassins in the public’s eye. Both of them performed a grant leap over a small river that separated the main town from the countryside, and begun running through the fields, the countless strands of weeds lightly brushing against their legs and rustling along with the wind. The air was cold, as cold as it gets during a summer night, but none of them minded. Their mind, was set somewhere else. They noticed several individuals running away from a particular place in the fields, so they immediately headed towards that direction. All of them looked shocked, frightened, and disturbed to the core. There was no doubt, at this point. The demon had struck, once again. They took a good look around the open field, but there was nobody, and nothing to be seen. Where was he? Suddenly, a gunshot was heard, and Zed immediately turned towards Shen’s direction, to see him wounded in the leg. The ninja fell on the ground, painfully, but silently clutching at his bleeding leg. Another shot. This one managed to miss both of them. Another one. This one grazed Zed by the thigh.

**‘’Four!’’**

A man’s voice, clear as day, was heard through the echoing fields, as a bullet struck Shen in the chest, right on his collarbone. He now fell back first on the ground from the impact, his blue suit beginning to slowly turn red. Zed leaned over him, inspecting the wound.

‘’It’s fine, g-go.’’ Shen said, pointing towards the demon’s dark figure, now clearly standing a good distance away from the two of them.

‘’..Are you-‘’

‘’I’ll be fine! Just go!’’

Zed immediately vanished along the shadows, heading straight for the man on the opposite side of the field. Tonight, Zed’s determination would not waver. Everything would come to an end. Suddenly appearing through a shadow, Zed managed to use the blade of his hand and make a deep slash across the figures left arm, the one he had noticed was used to fire the gun. The figured grunted in pain, taking a step back, but Zed immediately disappeared and reappeared once more, the blade now aiming for his neck. A well timed dodge managed to save him from the attack, the blade stabbing through the white cloth around his neck, ripping it clear off his body. The demon fired a shot, completely missing by a longshot, but averted Zed's attention long enough to not notice the trap placed by his legs. Stepping on it immediately detonated it, the sudden flash of light and noise giving enough time for the figure to make a run for it. Zed shook his head, clearing his thoughts. He saw a path through the trap’s smoke, dashing through it and continuing the pursuit. The distance between the two figures was steadily getting closer. Was the difference between their abilities that great… or was it something else? Suddenly, Zed saw it.

The Demon was limping on one of his legs. This was a great opportunity for him, as one last dash through the shadows closed the remaining distance between them, Zed able to make a cut across the figure’s leg, effectively knocking him down. The figure collapsed on his back, immediately trying to push himself back on his feet, but to not avail. He then stood there, staring at Zed through the porcelain mask, without a sound to be heard. Zed let out the breath he had been holding in during the last few minutes, and pointed his blade towards the man.

‘’It’s over.’’, he declared.

He took a good look on the figure on the ground. The man was clearly trembling, making no attempts to conceal it. Like a scared, untamed animal, he remained fixated in place, waiting for Zed to make a move. The cut across his neck from their last encounter was still visible, resembling a thin, red line of a scar. Just like he remembered it.

... _He remembered it?.._

Zed’s eyes went wide with shock, still hidden by the mask. How could he have not realized it? A demon who acts alone, in the dead of the night. A demon who hates crowds, but loves to perform. The cut across his neck. The limping limb. The same soothing, ever so polite voice, only touched by a metallic tone to it.

‘’Khada…Jhin?’’

The demon’s fists immediately clenched, but no reply was given for several seconds, until a quiet, but slowly increasing on volume laugh filled his ears.

‘’I should have known.’’ The Demon said, grabbing the porcelain mask from his face, and throwing it away with force. He then grasped against the black cloth hiding his face from view, pulling it off once and for all, to reveal a pale face, with two shining, amber eyes. ‘’How could I have been so blind?’’ Zed was speechless, feeling his knees becoming weak. _Was this some sort of sick joke?_

‘’I should have realized back then, the day after the festival.’’ The demon continued his monologue, as if the man standing in front of him wasn’t even there. ‘’When I grabbed your shoulder, I noticed you flinch for just a second. You hid it well, I must admit, but oh, I have become way too good at reading and creating expressions to fall for something like that, my dear.’’ The demon chuckled, looking straight towards his metal mask. ‘’It’s you, is it not?’’ The demon chuckled.

‘’ **Zed**.’’

His knees finally gave in, collapsing on them as he fell on the ground. What could he say, at a situation like this? What could he do? Love is not something meant for ninjas. These words were echoing around in his mind. Oh, how right the elders had been. He felt betrayed. Betrayed by the one person he had chosen to place his feelings within. Betrayed in the worst way possible, scarred even. He took off his own metal mask, revealing a pair of dark, green eyes to the other man.

‘’Why… would you do this?’’ Was the only question he was able to ask.

‘’Why?’’ Khada repeated, his sight aimed towards the ground. ‘’There is no answer to such a question, unfortunately. Why do humans need water, and food to survive? Why do plants need sunlight to bloom? That’s just the way these things work. It works in the same way for me. I **need** , to perform. It’s not a choice I can make. When I perform, I feel alive. I feel like I’m leaving my mark on this wretched world. I feel… liberated. I have come too far, I cannot stop now. If I stop… I will become nothing but an empty shell, awaiting for death.’’ Zed was listening, even through the rapidly growing pain in his chest.

‘’So, is this why you approached me from the start? Knowing who I am, trying to-‘’

‘’No.’’ Khada Jhin sharply interrupted. ‘’Our meeting was entirely coincidental. Until tonight, I had no knowledge of you being one of the pursuers Kusho sent for me.’’

‘’Do you expect me to believe you?’’ Zed replied, managing to lean on his arm and push himself off the ground, slowly approaching the other man. He shook his head, turning towards him once more.

‘’The things you said… you had to do, what were they?’’ Khada raised an eyebrow, but remembered their conversation from the morning.

‘’Oh… Truth is, once I finished tonight’s performance, I would reveal my true identity to you. I wished to be honest with you, and that is what I would do. I needed some time… to prepare myself for your reaction. Knowing who I am, knowing what I have done and _will_ keep doing, just what would you do? Shout at me, curse me, attempt to kill me? Would you be sad, disappointed, or angry? I did have a few guesses.’’ Seeing Zed approach him along with the well sharped blade, he chuckled. ‘’Seems as some of them were correct.’’ The approaching man stopped right before him, and kneeled down in front of him.

‘’…Turn yourself in.’’ He said, voice almost sounding like a whisper.

‘’You know I cannot do that.’’

‘’Do you wish for death, then?’’ He said, approaching his blade towards the man’s neck once more.

‘’…I wish for your forgiveness.’’ Zed narrowed his eyes. A mix of different feelings swam right through them. Sadness, fury, disappointment.

‘’How can I? We live in two completely different worlds, Khada Jhin. Even if I wasn’t a discipline of Master Kusho, how could… this… ever work out?’’ Khada averted his eyes from the other man, looking downwards once more.

‘’…The things I said, this morning. Even with all these, revelations, I still mean every last one of them.’’ He locked his amber eyes with the dark green ones once more, his look determined. ‘’I do love you, with all of my heart.’’

Zed felt as if his heart would crush his chest at any second now. How could mere words hurt him that deeply?

‘’…What do you expect me to answer?’’

Khada tilted his head to the side, his eyes looking tired. He was bleeding from his numerous wounds, and rapidly losing blood.

‘’What is… your response?’’ Zed’s eyes remained still.

‘’I feel the same way.’’

Khada Jhin weakly chuckled, his arms not able to support him anymore, falling on the ground on his back.

‘’How wonderful.’’

Zed leaned over the fallen man, his blade once more on his neck. There were no words. There was nothing left to say.

‘’…goodbye.’’

The Golden Demon closed his eyes.

* * *

‘’Again!’’

Zed declared, taking on a defensive stance, as the young boy run towards him once more. The blades on his arms clashed against the scythe, a loud metallic sound echoing around the dojo. The young male was thrown away from the impact, Zed easily containing his composure.

‘’..Not bad.’’ Zed admitted, the child wiping the sweat off his forehead.

‘’..But there’s still room for improvement.’’ The boy said, as if guessing Zed’s next words. The man nodded in agreement.

‘’Always. Go rest, we’ve been at this for hours.’’

‘’I can still fight-‘’

‘’No. Rest.’’ Zed ordered. ‘’Overexerting yourself won’t make you any stronger, Kayn. You need to know when to stop.’’ The child bowed his head, reluctantly nodding in agreement.

‘’Yes, Master Zed.’’ The boy picked up his scythe, and exited the room, leaving Zed alone with his thoughts. More than two years had passed, since that fateful night. The night he struck his blades against his own Master, and stole the black box. After countless hours of meditation and thinking, his mind was finally clear. Following Kusho would help him no more. The Kinkou’s ideals and his own, did not, and would never match. When the Noxian army invaded Ionia once more, Kusho abstained. Despite Zed’s plead to attack them with everything they had, he chose to remain idle. Just to keep his hands clean of the enemy’s blood. Zed was disgusted, and betrayed. He left, and with his new army of followers, attacked the Noxian Invaders himself. He would eradicate Noxus’ evil, even if he had to do it with his own two hands. A few months back he had found a young boy, and decided to take him in as his disciple. He could see the boy’s potential, and chose to help him unravel his true power. Kayn was smart, and strong. But he was still, just a child, and Zed had to deal with his curiosity and naiveté more than once.

‘’Master.’’ One of his followers entered the large room, clearly in a hurry. ‘’There has been an intruder.’’ Zed raised an eyebrow, hidden behind his mask.

‘’An intruder?’’ Who would dare attack the Order of Shadows by themselves? A Noxian assassin, perhaps? Whoever he was, they had to be either extremely confident of themselves, or a simple fool.

‘’It’s the Golden Demon, Master.’’

Zed froze. Suddenly, the dojo-like room’s door was opened, revealing a tall, slender figure, aiming a gun towards them. There was blood on the handle, as well as on his golden, expertly made looking boots, along with a simple splash on the figure’s mask, along the jawline. The Shadow follower raised his weapon, charging towards the intruder, before his master raised a hand, signaling him to stop.

‘’Don’t.’’ He declared.

‘’B-But Master Zed!-‘’

‘’Get out… Leave us be.’’

The follower looked shocked, but decided to trust his master’s reasoning, and slowly left the room, staring the masked figure down as he walked past him, exiting and shutting the door closed. The two figures were left standing on either sides of the room, simply staring at each other, neither of them acting in any sorts of way. The white-masked man then started striding towards Zed, with long, elegant steps, until he closed their distance in half, then stopped once more.

‘’…Good evening.’’ The metallic voice pierced his ears, sounding exactly as he remembered it, as if their last meeting was just yesterday, and not years ago.

‘’Why… are you here?’’ Zed questioned, not sure what else to say.

‘’Questions, mainly.’’ The demon replied. ‘’But we can get to that later. Now, you,’’ he said, pointing his gun towards the other male. ‘’You’ve made quite the name of yourself, haven’t you? You even killed, your own master.’’

‘’We’ve always been on different terms.’’ Zed admitted. ‘’I just acted upon my resolution. Ionia needed a change, and Kusho wasn’t the one who could offer that.’’

‘’And you can?’’ The figure chuckled.

‘’I **will**.’’ He declared.

The Golden Demon took a few steps across the room, their distance never closing, hands now behind his own back.

‘’That… night. What exactly happened? I do believe I passed out from my blood loss, so my memory is quite hazy. Last thing I can remember, is your blade by my neck.’’ Zed remained quiet, so the other male continued. ‘’Why did you let me live?’’ Zed was still for a few seconds, before reaching up, and removing his own mask, now green eyes staring towards the white, porcelain mask.

‘’I couldn’t kill you back then.’’ He honestly admitted. The other figure finally closed the distance between them, standing right in front of the Shadow Order’s master. He reached up himself, removing his mask along with the black cloth below it.

‘’But now you can?’’ He asked, amber eyes locking onto the green ones.

‘’I can.’’ Zed replied, his composure steady, as was the other man’s. ‘’But I won’t.’’ Both eyebrows were raised above the amber eyes.

‘’You… won’t?’’

‘’What reason do I have to? Zed asked, looking off in the distance, outside a nearby window. ‘’Kusho is dead. I am no longer bound, by his fake beliefs of peace. I act on my own, with my own two hands.’’

‘’How admirable.’’ Khada Jhin replied, a soft smile painted on his lips. ‘’But, am I still not an enemy for you?’’

‘’An enemy?’’ The other man questioned. ‘’As long as you do not interfere, with what I am trying to achieve, you’re nothing to me.’’ Khada took another step forward.

‘’And… what if I do interfere?’’ Zed slightly tilted his head.

‘’In what way, would you interfere?’’

Khada chuckled, as he reached up, and placed his lips atop Zed’s. The slightly taller male immediately grabbed the other man’s white cloth around his neck, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss. He forced his tongue inside, fiercefully fighting for dominance against the other male’s, and clearly emerging victorious, given by the soft pants Khada left out. He suddenly broke the kiss, staring intensely into the amber eyes in front of him.

‘’If, this is your way of interfering… You are no enemy of mine.’’ The Golden Demon widely grinned, something rare, unknown until now to Zed.

‘’How lovely.’’ He said, his arms wrapping around Zed’s neck.

‘’Fight with me.’’ Zed asked, no, declared.

‘’Pardon?’’ Khada Jhin replied, a brow highly arched.

‘’You wish to perform. I, will give you the stage. Not just against Noxus, or other foreign nations, but in Ionia as well. There are countless politicians… army leaders.. that deserve death. They are the reason Ionia was brought to her knees.’’

Khada was listening with great care, his smile unwavering. He slowly closed his eyes, and then looked outside the nearby window, where the nearby tree branches were softly rustling along the night breeze.

‘’..Can you hear it?’’ He asked, his voice nothing more than a whisper in the wind.

‘’Hear what?’’ Zed questioned. He listened with care, but no sound other than the wind could be heard in the distance.

‘’The music, my dear.’’ The Demon replied, as he took a step back, and performed a deep bow in front of the other man. ‘’I do believe, you owe me a dance.’’ Zed let out a smile, not able to contain it at this point, as he lightly shook his head.

‘’You are right, I do.’’ He admitted, as he took the hand offered to him by the other man, and indulged himself in a soundless, Ionian dance, in the middle of the dojo. Despite the war and bloodshed happening all around them in the region, this night felt, as if it belonged only to them.


End file.
